CDWP Clears Rs. 40.18 Billion Sehat Sahulat Program for AJK, GB and Islamabad

The government on Thursday approved Rs. 40.188 billion for the Sehat Sahulat Program, extending universal health coverage in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory for two years until June 30, 2027.

The key development was cleared by the Central Development Working Party, which approved the revised cost and scope of the programme and referred it to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for formal approval.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to formally launch the extended programme within the next few days.

The approval was part of five health sector projects worth Rs. 79.35 billion cleared at a meeting of the Central Development Working Party, chaired by Ahsan Iqbal.

The Sehat Sahulat Programme was originally launched on February 7, 2018, and later expanded nationwide. Its earlier phase ended in June 2025, after which the programme was devolved to the provinces. On January 2, 2026, the prime minister approved the continuation of the programme beyond June 2025 for AJK, GB and ICT only.

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Under the revised framework, the programme will be implemented through the development budget on a universal basis in the three federal territories. It aims to improve public health outcomes by expanding coverage for secondary and priority inpatient treatments.

The programme will provide health insurance coverage for indoor healthcare services to all permanent resident families in the covered districts, as verified through Nadra records, and is expected to reduce out-of-pocket and catastrophic hospitalisation expenses by up to 60 percent.

Officials said the project is a key component of the Uraan Pakistan social sector initiative, focusing on equitable access to quality healthcare, particularly for poor, vulnerable and underserved communities.

During the meeting, the planning minister recalled that the programme was initially launched in 2015 under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif with the objective of providing full health coverage to poor and deserving families.

He said later expansion to affluent segments in some regions led to the misuse of resources and limited access for those most in need.

He directed that the programme be renamed to its original title, the Prime Minister’s National Health Programme, and stressed that public funds should remain focused on protecting vulnerable groups and strengthening the social safety net.

Overall, the CDWP approved three smaller development projects worth Rs. 12.5 billion under its own financial powers, while two major projects worth Rs. 56.8 billion — including the Sehat Sahulat Programme and the Rs. 15.95 billion Jinnah Hospital (Polyclinic-II) project in Islamabad were referred to Ecnec for final approval.